Join the Mureens

Tomorrow Jon, Anna Kate and I are driving to Horn Creek, Colorado with our church for family camp and my parents are keeping J.R. and our animals at our house. It will be my first time to ever have gone a whole day without being with either of my children, and it will be a whole week without J.R.! We're going to miss the little guy!!! If you pray, please pray for us...the whole 12 hour drive each way and the whole family being apart thing. I hope it's fun...I'm trying to have a good attitude, but I can think of many things (anything) I'd rather do more than pack...that's why I'm writing this now so that I will not do the computer anymore and start getting ready for Jon's sake...bless his heart...because we're going on a date tonight to a Ginny Owens concert (CAN'T WAIT -- YEY!!!!!!!!!) and I need to be packed by then.

P.S. I'm really sad that one of my favorite friends from church, Carole, is not going to CO, too :(

Ok, so I've thought of every one I can think of that I've ever met and asked them to be my friend on Facebook (except for 1 guy I dated in college that I don't really ever care to talk to again...he actually lives in a house in my neighborhood...small world) and I only have about 200+ people and some people have 1000 friends! I feel like I know a lot of people, shouldn't I have 1000 friends, too? Additionally, Facebook is every procrasinator's dream come true...there are countless diversions on that thing and I love spending my time doing anything but what I am supposed to be doing. So now you know my life's 2 greatest struggles...insecurity and lack of discipline...well, and then you might want to throw some fear/worry in there if we're being real honest. How did I get on that tangent?

from his fresh haircut. Don't worry - the pen was quickly comfiscated after the picture.

Now he looks nice and clean-cut :)

is apparently when Jon and I hug and/or kiss. Anna Kate has started pointing at us and giggling hysterically whenever we do...
And of course she gets J.R. going too...

Well, all I have to say is that Jon's a pretty irresistable guy, ever since our first date when I figured out he wasn't the big ego-trip I had thought he was, and now especially when he's with the kids who totally ADORE him. WE LOVE YOU JON!!!!

We saw our little brother for the last time yesterday. His family is moving back to New Orleans. Oh we love him so much and shed some tears about seeing him go. He is a wonderful, kind, smart, loving, well-mannered young man. I'm kind of glad that Anna Kate is too young to understand that we won't be seeing him again because she lights up and totally loves to, "go see Dylan."
Dylan LOVES our pets and LOVES to give them treats...they will miss him too :(We went bowling to celebrate his 10th birthday yesterday then ate dinner at Cici's.

Anna Kate loved dancing to the music on the MTV screen at the bowling lanes...I was a little concerned about some of the images on that screen...but I think Anna Kate was too busy dancing and spinning to notice.

The kids painted a box to mail some goodies to Jon's sister Charissa, "Aunt Kiss," who is a counselor at Camp Ozark right now.
I think it turned out cute. However, I thought that since they were painting in their underwear and we didn't have to worry about clothes getting dirty then it wouldn't make a big mess...silly me.

I've listened to thousands of sermons over the course of my life and you hear a lot of the same stuff over and over...but this morning the sermon was GREAT. It was on the difference between cultural Christianity (cool, fun, doesn't cost you anything, self-absorbed, the appearing to be an "awesome Christian" is an easy act anyone can do) and Biblical Christianity (self-less, changes us, grace unleashed, awkward learning prossess, no glory for me). He just did a great job...whoa....was I convicted or what??

I want to be cremated for the following reasons:

1. so no strangers see me naked when those funeral home people dress me for the open-casket
2. Just in case there's any life in me when they pump in those preservative chemicals, or worse, after they pump them in and I'm buried
3. i just don't like the thought of decaying all by myself underground someday

In spite of all this, Jon says he'll bury me for theological reasons. Well, as long as he's buried right next to me, I guess I'll survive.

I was so excited because it had sounded delicious..."Roasted Poblano Peppers Baked with Artichokes and Walnuts" from the Houston JL cookbook. It took FOREVER to make and no one liked it...isn't that the worst combo? I added chips and that didn't help :(

I've noticed a total connection between Anna Kate's t.v. watching and bad behavior. The only things she watches are Sesame Street, Curious George & Clifford, so it's not like she's watching violent t.v. or commercials. On days we do not watch any t.v. she is calmer, less apt to hit people and wine and make destructive messes and she is more obedient and responsive to me and more creative in her play and content in general (as long as she's well-rested and well-fed which are ESSENTIAL to her ability to function politely). And then I found this article. Jon and I watch t.v. so rarely, the only show we have ever watched regularly is 24, so it makes me want to totally get rid of the t.v. so I'm never tempted to emply the electronic babysitter/pacifier. Any thoughts?

she's my grandmother she lives in an Alzhemier's home...Anna Kate LOVES to visit Dot!

We had a reunion with all the cousins on my mom's side of the family at our house. It was SO FUN!!!! It's always special when some of your favorite people in the whole world are in your very own family :) The only thing that makes me sad about it is that I didn't take a pic of all the kids together or every one all together :(

Jon and me...I also found out I am definitely NOT pregnant today, by the way. We do hope our family will grow soon, though!

Jon and the kids.

My cousin Mark, my dad, and my mom. My dad fell asleep so Mark and my mom were being goofy pretending they were asleep for the picture, but my dad opened his eyes right as I took it.

My Aunt Nancy brought BEAUTIFUL flowers for all the tables...she did all the flowers at my wedding, too. She is amazing at all things domestic...she could give Martha Stewart a run for her money...no lie.

A picture of my Aunt Nancy and her daughter, Jennifer, who is a couple of years older than me and growing up I always wanted to be like her because she is very cool :)

31 people came...this is some of the people and lots of yummy food...we also made homeade Milky Way Ice Cream that was a big hit.

And finally, you will never believe what else happened today at our reunion. There was a stranger outside as the family reunion was just getting started and she asked my dad for some water, and he went to get her some and I went out to invite her in for food (because we had tons) and she ended up staying and showering and resting at our house and my family was so kind to her and I am so thankful. She doesn't really have a home. Her story just totally broke my heart...she was sexually abused and she got pregnant at 12 (that daughter is now 12 and doesn't want anything to do with her) and she dropped out of school then and can't really read and had a hard life, to say the least, and last year her fiance & best friend was murdered and now she has cervical cancer and other various diseases and has a hard time staying off drugs because she just has a lot of pain and was raped again just a week ago. I cannot imagine having had her life. I read a book that opened my eyes to the lives of low income women because it is impossible for me to relate from anything from my life...the book was Promises I Can Keep and I highly recommend it.

We have people walk in front of our house every day between the bus stops on the busy roads east and west of our house. At first when we moved to this city, I was TERRIFIED and would lock the doors and sit shaking in my living room holding my children close and watching the windows knowing that any minute the bad people would come in an get us. I'd see these hardened poor people every where and read the crime reports and shudder at the thought of what was happening every day at the apartments several blocks from our house. I'd go to the grocery store and see men that look freshly-out-of-prison look at my children and me and make me very uncomfortable.

But God is working on us. Growing up super sheltered in a Christian home surrounded by rich Christians, I hate to say it, but it's hard to see the need for God...but now I see the vhast evil and how it spreads and infects our world need for the strength and power of a God that is Good and I am so thankful He is there and that "the least of these" are near and dear to His heart. God brought us here to our very neighborhood...may He use us for His purpose. Going through this trial and seeing the hard reality of life up close and personal and learning so much from Jon and growing in so many ways as I face the challenges of raising my children has given me a great love for and appreciation for God that I have never known before.

...it was our second time to go and Anna Kate loves it so much...it is totally her element...I don't know why I couldn't get pics of her smiling, b/c she was the whole time...

J.R. sat chillin just like this the whole time....

Jumping with her best friend Trey and Mrs. Janie

She loves marching with bells...